Early start and we took bus then train to Potsdam Platz. Started our waking tour.

Explored the Sony Centre and Dailmler City, two shopping centres en route to a section of the Wall . Really good boards explaining the devastated area between the two parallel walls, meaning a whole section of the central city was laid waste by the wall. Now being preserved in places as a unique Eco-zone, left to itself for 30 years.

On to look at the Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered European Jews) - 2711 concrete blocks (stelae) made to look like a cemetery, with info. centre underneath. The fields of blocks really are meaningful.

Walked to the Brandenburger Tor, symbol of German reunification, with adjacent Pariserplatz. Guy in top hat and tails playing miniature barrel organ.

Walked on to see the War Victims Memorial, small plaques honouring those who died trying to escape the east.

Walked around the Parliament (Reichstag) . Had hoped to climb the glass domed roof, told it was shut, but was not so, but too late!

Bought a small Berlin Bear - the mascot seen everywhere of a bear with upraised arms .

Through the day, saw a several combinations of "bicycles" made for up to 7 riders, one steering and the rest pedalling. Many groups obviously "buck's parties". Also beautiful carriages and pairs, walking sedately through the streets with their passengers.

Walked down what is supposed to be the "best" street in Berlin, Unter Den Linden( under the Linden trees) but it really is a building site, as they construct more new Ubahn stations.

Strolled through Galleries Lafayette, with Eiffel Tower inside, then shopping precincts called Quartier 205 and 206, very upmarket, and then into Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin's "most beautiful square". Looked at outsides of Concert House and French and German Doms. Watched amazing man blowing huge soap bubbles across the square.

Next the Bebelplatz, site of the Nazi book burnings in 1933 . Simple memorial viewed through glass in the pavement - room of empty bookcases.

Walked around the Catholic Cathedral of St Hedwig, modelled on the Pantheon in Rome. Oddly arranged with the altar on a lower floor than the seats , but soon to be remodelled.

Walked across Museuminsel (museum island) and admired the beautiful buildings of several, but no energy for museums today (maybe we are "museumed out"?)

Many years ago, (1951) the GDR knocked down the royal palace nearby, (Berliner Stadtschloss) and built an apparently hideous Palast Der Republik in 1976. This has been bulldozed, in 2006, to be replaced by a recreation of the original palace facade with a hotel or such inside. Still a work in progress.

Our final site was tremendous - the Berliner Dom. Not actually a Cathedral as it has no bishop. Former court church of the Hohenzollern family, many of whom are buried in the crypt. It really is fantastic, a total surprise, vaguely modelled on St.Peter's in Rome but much smaller. Neo-Renaissence, Lutheran, built in its present form in1905, after earlier churches were razed. We admired it all, then climbed to the top of the roof, to look at the city from above.

Enough for today; took the bus, then train then bus and walked back to camp. In all, we walked 13 km!!

A good initial impression, so much more to see on a future visit. A city of contrasts, some very tacky, some beautifully old or renovated, and much recent and very poignant, and we really only saw half of it!